Holiday Health

Most of us think about the holidays and only think about the week or two at the end of December.  The time for food, drinks and family, right?  Well, let’s be honest, those holiday gatherings (and indulgences) begin in late-November and continue through to January.  Family obligations alone can mean multiple parties with multiple extensions of your family tree.  Then there are the work parties, the friends getting together, the kids parties and the News Years celebrations… we are looking at a good 5 to 6 weekends of parties!  So, how are you possibly expected to make it through the holidays without gaining some weight???  Well, like most things in life, it is all about moderation and being realistic.  It may also mean being selfish and taking a couple hours a week for YOU!  I know, it seems crazy that you would actually be able to take care of YOURSELF over the holidays!

BE FLEXIBLE AND REALISTIC

With all the family and social obligations this time of year, it can be hard to stick to your usual workout routine.  This is where proper planning and being realistic comes into play.  If you normally workout on a Saturday morning and you see you have a Friday evening party, it would make sense to leave the party early enough that you will be rested and ready for your workout the next morning… or, the more realistic plan for most of us is to re-schedule the Saturday morning workout ahead of time.  DO NOT CANCEL IT… RESCHEDULE IT!  Find another class that will work for you, reschedule with your personal trainer or schedule time to do your workout later in the day on your own.  Do what works for you and your schedule, but just make sure you do it!

SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS AS YOU WOULD ANY OTHER OBLIGATION

You take the time to schedule your parties and obligations, so why would you not schedule your workouts?  I tell all my clients to plan their workouts for the upcoming week, in advance.  It is great to say you are going to attend 3 classes in a week; the trick is actually doing it.  Every Sunday, sit down with your schedule and figure out where you can fit in your workouts.  We all know that it gets tougher to fit in a workout during the holidays, but it does not mean you have to give up.  If there is a week that you can only fit in 1 or 2 workouts at the gym or fitness studio, schedule a 20 minute home workout.  Less of a workout is still better than no workout!  Put your schedule in writing for you (and everyone else in your household) to see.  Make sure it is known that you will not be available for those times in order to ensure that no one books another social outing at the same time that could ruin your plans for a workout.  Time management is a must over the holidays.  Each evening, take a look at your schedule for the next day.  Make sure you are prepared (mentally and physically) for any workout you have planned.  If you are going to a class on your lunch hour or your way home from work, pack your workout clothes and shoes before you go to bed.

PLAN SHORTER WORKOUTS THAN USUAL

If it is getting stressful trying to fit in all your workouts plan shorter workouts.  Again, a shorter workout is better than no workout.  A lot can be accomplished in 30 minutes, if you know what to do.  H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training), is a great way to burn the maximum calories in a shorter amount of time.  Attend a 30 minute class at a local fitness studio, sign up for 30 minute sessions with a local personal trainer or find a 30 minute workout you can do at home, on your own… or, even better, with your family!  If you feel that you have no time or energy, try a 10 minute workout… you may find that you keep going for 20-30 minutes and you do have the energy. 

KEEP AN EXERCISE JOURNAL

We have all heard the advice to keep a food journal when you are trying to lose weight.  Seeing what you eat on paper, right in front of you, can be a real wake up call for most of us.  All of a sudden, you can see how many cookies, lattes or “quick snacks” we have… and how it all adds up quickly!  Well, why not keep an exercise journal?  Better yet, keep that exercise journal on the fridge or bulletin board where everyone can see it?  Not only is this a great motivator for you to keep up with your work outs , but it may even motivate the rest of your family to keep up with you!

DO NOT STRESS OUT ABOUT MISSED WORKOUTS

Taking in all the advice above, the most important thing to remember, is to not stress out about missed workouts.  Life will happen and you will have to miss a workout here or there.  Although exercise is an important part of being healthy, your mental health is just as important.  Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and it will help you sleep better at night... but, stressing out about not making it to your workout that day is not going to help anything. Accept that you are human and that you can only do your best to be everywhere at once.  (This is also true when you over-book yourself for holiday parties… sometimes, you will just have to miss a party and not feel guilty about it).

QUICK TIPS TO AVOID HOLIDAY WEIGHT GAIN…

• CHEW YOUR FOOD SLOWLY – PUT YOUR FORK DOWN BETWEEN BITES.
• DRINK LOTS OF WATER.
• DO NOT WASTE CALORIES ON ALCOHOL (EACH DRINK CONTAINS 150-200 CALORIES).
• EAT PROPERLY THROUGH THE DAY – DO NOT “SAVE CALORIES”FOR A PARTY – THIS WILL LEAD TO POOR NUTRITIONAL CHOICES AND OVER-INDULGING AT THE PARTY.  MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES ALL DAY AND BE REASONABLE WITH YOUR CHOICES AT THE PARTY.
• DO NOT EAT STANDING AT THE BUFFET – PUT FOOD ON A PLATE, GO AND SIT DOWN TO EAT.  EASIER TO PROPERLY CONTROL YOUR PORTIONS AND MAKE BETTER CHOICES.
• FILL UP ON HEALTHY CHOICES BEFORE SAMPLING SOME OF THE TASTIER TREATS.
• WHEN RUNNING ERRANDS, PACK HEALTHY AND EASY SNACKS AND AVOID TRIPS TO THE MALL FOOD COURT OR DRIVE THRU.
• PARK FURTHER AWAY FROM THE MALL ENTRANCE OR PARTY – EVERY CALORIE BURNED WILL HELP!
• WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TO SEE HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND DISPLAYS.
• GO ICE SKATING, TOBOGGANING, SKIING, SNOWBOARDING… SO MANY FUN WINTER SPORTS TO CHOOSE FROM!

EXAMPLE OF GREAT 10 MINUTE WORK OUT

This great workout can be done at home or on vacation with no equipment!  Burn tons of calories and build muscle with this high-intensity circuit style workout that will only take 10 minutes! Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program and most importantly… listen to your body!  All you need for this workout is a stop watch or timer… or even a clock with a second hand on it.  Be sure to warm-up properly before the workout.  Throughout the workout, your heart rate should be elevated.  If you can carry on a comfortable conversation… push yourself a little harder.  You should feel out of breath, but still be able to talk.

Complete each exercise for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and repeat…

1. Jumping Jacks

• Jumping Jacks are a great way to elevate your heart rate and get the blood pumping through your entire body.

2. Knee High Jogs

• Keep your knees high and push yourself for the full 30 seconds!

3. Squats

• Sit down and back (like you are going to sit into a chair).  Keep all your weight on your heels to protect your knees and aim to get your thighs parallel to the floor.  Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds.

4. Alternating Forward Lunges

• Step forward into a lunge.  Make sure you step far enough forward that you can keep most of the weight on the heel of your front foot and that your knee does not go further forward than your foot.  Relax your back leg enough that your heel comes off the floor and your knee is as close to the floor as possible.  Push back up from your front foot to bring your feet back together and repeat on the other side.  Do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds.

5. Push-Ups

• Start your push-ups on your toes.  Your goal is to do the full 30 seconds on your toes, but if your form is suffering (hips raising, arms no longer bending to 90 degrees), drop down to your knees and continue your push-ups, in proper form,  for the full 30 seconds.

6. Triceps Dips (on sturdy coffee table or chair)

• Place your hands on the edge of the table or chair (or whatever stable surface you have chosen) and place your legs straight out in front of you.  Allow your arms to bend, while dropping your hips towards the floor.  Do as many as you can with straight legs for 30 seconds.  If you cannot continue with straight legs, bring your feet closer to you and bend your knees.  Continue for the full 30 seconds.

7. Military Twists

• In a seated position, bend your legs so your feet are flat on the floor.  Hold your hands together in front of your chest and hold your elbows high to the side.  Lean back about 45 degrees and hold this position.  For 30 seconds, twist your torso reach your elbow back for the floor behind you… alternating sides.

8. Reverse Crunches

• Lying back on the floor, raise your legs straight up towards the ceiling.  Lift your hips off the floor slowly and slowly lower them back down.  DO NOT USE MOMENTUM.  This will be a small movement, but will target the lower abs.  Continue for the full 30 seconds.

9. High Low Plank

• Start in a plank position, up on your hands.  Make sure your hips are in line with your body, your shoulders are down and your core is supported.  Lower down to your right elbow and then to your left, press back up to your right hand and then left.  Ensure that your hips stay in line with your body and you maintain strong support through your core.  Repeat, starting on your left.  Continue as many reps as you can in 30 seconds. 

10. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat.

After you have repeated this circuit twice, take some time to cool down and stretch.  Make sure to stretch each of the major muscle groups and let your heart rate return to normal.

Breakfast - Why Is It Important?

If it is that you are trying to lose weight, or just that you are always running late and cutting out breakfast is the only way you can make it out the door on time... skipping breakfast is never a good idea.  You have heard it over and over again... "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"... I am not sure I completely agree that it is the MOST important meal, but it definitely is the one most people are willing to skip, and really, no meal should be skipped.  Our body and brain need to be refueled through-out the day, so in order to keep sharp and on track with a healthy lifestyle, why would you skip ANY meal???

I am not going to get into how you should eat all day, this post is all about breakfast, so lets just keep it simple.  Why is breakfast so important?

Some experts believe that if you skip breakfast, your body goes into "starvation" mode... others believe this is not true.  Apparently, it takes days of not eating for your body to slow down and go into "starvation" mode.  I am not sure which is true, but either way, if you are not eating from dinner time and then you skip breakfast... you are looking at 18 hours of not eating!!!  That only leaves 6 hours to fit in all the nutrients you need.  So, do you then eat every hour from Noon - 6pm... or are you eating until midnight and then getting into bed?  This is also not a great idea... for many reasons, weight gain just being one of them.

They say that people who eat breakfast have a better chance of losing weight.  This may be because their metabolism is working properly, or this may simply be because these same people who are willing to take that 15 minutes in the morning and eat a proper breakfast, are also eating healthy and balanced meals through the day and not overindulging in poor food choices.  If you skip breakfast, there is a really good chance that by the time your lunch break comes along, you are so hungry, you grab the quickest thing available.  As we are all aware (if we want to admit it or not), the quick and easy food is not the healthy and balanced food.  One day I will do a post on packing a lunch and planning your dinners... this is the only way to ensure you are going to make proper choices and not the easy choice.

Now, if you are like me, you can not eat a big breakfast within an hour of waking up.  My body just does not process it well and I end up feeling like garbage.  So, why not split breakfast up?  Some days I will have a hard-boiled egg when I am getting started and then about an hour or so later, I will have some yogurt and fruit.  There is no rule saying that you have to have 3 large meals at 8am, Noon and 5pm... this is just what the norm is... that does not make it right for everyone.

Your breakfast should include protein and lots of fiber.  This will satisfy your hunger longer and keep you satisfied to lunch time... helping eliminate that mid-morning muffin... don't get me started on muffins.  The protein is easily attained from low-fat meat, eggs, nuts or dairy products.  Good high-fiber foods include fruit, vegetables & whole grains.  It is easy to have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge already prepared, add some fruit and a piece of whole grain toast to it and you have an easy, healthy breakfast.  Not so hard, is it?

Generally, I tell people to stay away from cereals.  I mean, the high-sugar cereals should be obvious bad choices, right?  But, if you really like cereal in the morning, there is nothing wrong with a bowl of whole-grain cereal, topped with fruit and low-fat milk.  Just be aware of artificial flavors and colours and the preservatives.  None of these are good for you, if you are trying to lose weight or not.

So, what are some healthy choices for breakfast?  Here is a great list I found at http://www.secretsofhealthyeating.com/healthy-breakfast-foods.html, just to get you started...

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1. Cereal. Have a bowl of high fiber, whole grain cereal, with low fat milk. Add some freshly chopped fruit to it if you like. Bran cereals are high in fiber and will help you feel fuller for longer. Fruits such as kiwi fruit, apples or berries add a fresh, sharp taste to cereals.
2. Eggs. Have an egg for breakfast - poached, boiled or scrambled for a high protein meal. If you have the time, make an omelette, with fresh vegetables such as zuchinni, mushrooms and tomatoes.
3. Oats. instant oat porridge is an excellent quick way to have a healthy breakfast. Instant oats come in a variety of flavours, and can be jazzed up with flaxseeds, berries, nuts and honey for a delicious breakfast ready in five minutes.
4. Whole Grain Toast. 2 slices of toast spread with low fat dairy spread or cottage cheese makes for a simple way to start the day. If you have sweet tooth, you can have honey or jam with your toast. Have some sliced grapefruit on the side.
5. Smoked Fish. Try some smoked salmon or cod with a slice of whole grain toast, or a wholegrain roll. Add some grilled tomatoes or cottage cheese for flavour. The high protein content and healthy fats in this meal will keep your appetite under control.
6. Yoghurt. A huge range and variety of low fat yoghurts are available today for an easy and healthy breakfast. Add your favourite fruit to a bowl of yoghurt, or add yoghurt to your cereal for a healthy and tasty way to get the calcium your bones need. Yoghurt also help with weight loss.
7. Fruit Smoothie. A simple, fast and nutritous way to start the day is to make your own fruit smoothie, by blending non fat milk with two of your favourite fruits. Try a mix of frozen raspberries and banana, or orange juice and blackberries for example.
8. Protein Shake. For an instant and filling breakfast, have a protein shake. Add fruit or yoghurt to your shake for extra flavour.
9. Muffins. While most ready made muffins are high in fat and calories, you can bake your own muffins on the weekend, with wholemeal or bran flour for a healthy breakfast treat.
10. Baked Beans. These are high in protein and low in glycemic load, and are a fantastic way to start the day. Have baked beans on whole grain toast for a healthy and filling breakfast.

Hope this helps you understand why breakfast is so important and how easy it is to include it in your morning routine.